tRump and Vietnam

 

US, Vietnamese businesses ask Trump to delay 46% tariffs on Vietnam

By Reuters

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HANOI, April 6 (Reuters) - U.S. and Vietnamese businesses have asked the Trump administration to delay its planned 46% tariff on Vietnamese goods, saying the levy will hurt them and bilateral commercial relations.

The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi expressed concern to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in a letter dated Saturday, saying the tariff, to take effect on Wednesday, was "shockingly high".

 

"Lower tariffs for products coming into Vietnam, and for products reaching the American consumer is what will help U.S. companies, the economy, and consumers," AmCham and VCCI said in a statement. "Higher tariffs will not."

The Southeast Asian country, a major regional manufacturing base for many Western companies, posted a trade surplus of over $123 billion with the U.S., its largest export destination, last year.

President Donald Trump and Vietnamese leader To Lam agreed on Friday to discuss a deal to remove tariffs, both said after a phone call that Trump called "very productive".

Even before Trump's Wednesday announcement of sweeping global tariffs, Vietnam cut several duties as part of a series of concessions to the U.S., which also included pledges to buy more American goods, such as planes and agriculture products.

AmCham and VCCI said: "A fast and fair agreement would add certainty for businesses and would help to rectify the trade imbalance between the two countries in a manner that benefits both countries."

Reporting by Khanh Vu and Francesco Guarascio; Editing by William Mallard

Could tRump even find Vietnam on a world map? Last time there was a possibility of him actually going there, he used a series of draft deferments to stay away.

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Healthy City?

 Montgomery ranks 169th out of 182 cities in a new study of healthy (and not so healthy) cities.

 

 

The full study is HERE.

A SHOCK! (NOT)

 

Alabama gambling bill defeated; sponsor declares issue dead for next 20 years.

It apparently does NOT matter what Alabama residents WANT (They broadly support a lottery and gambling). This state!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I personally don't gamble...I don't buy lottery tickets.....but good god!!!!!
 

Traditional Religion...

 Going, going, gone?

 Source: Salt Lake Tribune HERE.

 

"Traditional religion may be destined for the walls of Cracker Barrel, a space filled with nostalgic advertisements for products of yesteryear, like Victrolas, lace antimacassars or butter churns. All things, in other words, that have been rendered obsolete by modern life.

According to social scientist and author Christian Smith, a professor of sociology at the University of Notre Dame, “obsolete” describes the situation facing traditional organized religion in the United States. The title of his new book even puts its cultural expiration in the past tense: “Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America.”

The book, based on research that includes more than 200 qualitative interviews, will be released by Oxford University Press on Tuesday."

Obama on tRump

 

“We do not need four years of a wannabe king, a wannabe dictator running around trying to punish his enemies,” Obama said in response to Kelly’s remarks. “That’s not what you need in your life. America is ready to turn the page.”

Obama said he understood why Americans wanted change, but said Trump isn’t the answer: “What I can’t understand is why anyone would think that Donald Trump will shake things up in a way that is good for you. Because there is absolutely no evidence that this man thinks about anybody but himself.”

 

Hyundai Changes

 Source: "www.TheDrive.com":

Since 2020, Hyundai has had one of the most attractive selling points of any car brand: free maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever came first. Not all maintenance was free, of course, but routine stuff like oil changes and tire rotations were on the house. Those are the sort of savings that steals customers away from rival brands. Unfortunately for Hyundai customers, though, that limited “Complimentary Maintenance” plan ends with 2026 models.

First shared by CarsDirect, Hyundai reportedly sent a service bulletin to dealerships sometime last week, informing them of the upcoming change. The note told dealers that free maintenance is being axed because “the cost of the program grew to unsupportable levels.”

 The largest Hyundai plant in the U.S. Is in Montgomery.

 

Er, Footballer Barkley..???

 “Even though I disagree with President Trump on some things, if I met him, I would still give him the respect and dignity he deserves. We can disagree, but it bothers me when these teams don’t want to go to the White House. I’m just disappointed…we got so divided. Where did we get to as a country when we’re like, ‘We’re not going to the White House, we don’t like who’s in there.’ That’s just stupid.”

 

No, footballer Barkley, if George Wallace had been the winner in his runs for President, are you saying you would have gone to the White House despite Wallace's blatant racism??????? Now THAT would be "just stupid"! Same now.

Remembering

 It was two years ago today that my longtime friend Gary James Bridge died.

And of course he is missed more as each day passes! 

Hyundai Price Increase. Thanks tRump

 

It's about to get a little more expensive to buy a Hyundai after April 2.

South Korean automaker Hyundai is preparing for the impact of recently announced 25% tariffs that will take effect on April 2. According to a new report by Reuters, a note sent to dealers by Hyundai and Genesis Motor North America CEO Randy Parker reveals that the marques' competitive pricing may adjust after the levies take effect. 

Source: Auto Blog.com HERE. 

(And of course that will impact Alabama...home to a huge Hyundai plant.)

The MOST obese city in Alabama?

 It's Mobile!

The Port City also ranks 4th Nationally!

Also listed: Birmingham # 10th Nationally

and Huntsville: 32nd Nationally.

Happy to report Montgomery is NOT on the list of the top100 fattest cities in the U.S. 

Here's the full list from WalletHub.

Abortion ruling

 

By

• The Associated Press

Alabama’s attorney general cannot prosecute people and groups who help Alabama women travel to other states to obtain abortions, a federal judge ruled Monday.

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson sided with an abortion fund and medical providers who sued Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall after he suggested they could face prosecution under anti-conspiracy laws. Thompson’s ruling declared that such prosecutions would violate both the First Amendment and a person’s right to travel.

Marshall has not pursued any such prosecutions. However, he said he would “look at closely” whether facilitating out-of-state abortions is a violation of Alabama’s criminal conspiracy laws. The ruling was a victory for Yellowhammer Fund, an abortion assistance fund that had paused providing financial assistance to low-income people in the state because of the possibility of prosecution.

Poor Tuscaloosa

 

Tuscaloosa is ranked 9th in the list of 

Top 20 cities losing the most high-income households

 

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

1. Percentage change in the proportion of high-income households: -28.57%
2. Number of high-income households added over one year: -846
3. 2023:
   1. Total households: 42,870
   2. Percent of households earning $200,000+: 5.5%
   3. Number of high-income households: 2,358
   4. Median household income: $43,235
4. 2022:
   1. Total households: 41,602
   2. Percent of households earning $200,000+: 7.7%
   3. Number of high-income households: 3,203
   4. Median household income: $49,005
5. Percent change in total households over one year: 3%
   

   Data and methodology

   Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau 1-Year Community Survey for 2023 and 2022. The study includes 352 cities with a population of 100,000 or more for which data was available. Cities were ranked based on the growth in high-income households as a percentage of total households between 2022 and 2023. High-income households are defined as those making an income of $200,000 or more.

   This story was produced by SmartAsset and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

   Copyright 2025 Stacker via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Vaccines? We don't need any Damned Vaccines.

 From The Washington Post:

"The Trump administration on Friday pushed out Peter Marks, the nation’s top vaccine regulator and an architect of the U.S. program to rapidly develop coronavirus vaccines, a move that comes as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues his overhaul of the nation’s health and science agencies amid a worsening U.S. outbreak of measles."

Full story HERE.

Trumpland hire

 From a Washington Post story:

 "A vaccine skeptic who has long promoted false claims about the connection between immunizations and autism has been tapped by the federal government to conduct a critical study of possible links between the two, according to current and former federal health officials.

The Department of Health and Human Services has hired David Geier to conduct the analysis, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. Geier and his father, Mark Geier, have published papers claiming vaccines increase the risk of autism, a theory that has been studied for decades and scientifically debunked.

David Geier was disciplined by Maryland regulators more than a decade ago for practicing medicine without a license. He is listed as a data analyst in the HHS employee directory."

FULL Washington Post story is HERE.

 

"How Long? Not long..." 60 Years Ago Today at The Alabama Capitol

 Partial Video of the speech is HERE.

  I know you are asking today, “How long will it take?” (Speak, sir) Somebody’s asking, “How long will prejudice blind the visions of men, darken their understanding, and drive bright-eyed wisdom from her sacred throne?” Somebody’s asking, “When will wounded justice, lying prostrate on the streets of Selma and Birmingham and communities all over the South, be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men?” Somebody’s asking, “When will the radiant star of hope be plunged against the nocturnal bosom of this lonely night, (Speak, speak, speak) plucked from weary souls with chains of fear and the manacles of death? How long will justice be crucified, (Speak) and truth bear it?” (Yes, sir)

[36] I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, (Yes, sir) however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, (No sir) because “truth crushed to earth will rise again.” (Yes, sir)

[37] How long? Not long, (Yes, sir) because “no lie can live forever.” (Yes, sir)

[38] How long? Not long, (All right. How long) because “you shall reap what you sow.” (Yes, sir)

[39] How long? (How long?) Not long: (Not long)

Truth forever on the scaffold, (Speak)

Wrong forever on the throne, (Yes, sir)

Yet that scaffold sways the future, (Yes, sir)

And, behind the dim unknown,

Standeth God within the shadow,

Keeping watch above his own.

[40] How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. (Yes, sir)

[41] How long? Not long, (Not long) because:

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; (Yes, sir)

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; (Yes)

He has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword; (Yes, sir)

His truth is marching on. (Yes, sir)

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; (Speak, sir)

He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat. (That’s right)

O, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant my feet!

Our God is marching on. (Yeah)

Glory, hallelujah! (Yes, sir) Glory, hallelujah! (All right)

Glory, hallelujah! Glory, hallelujah!

[42] His truth is marching on. [Applause]

(More info HERE)

Rebirth of The Capri Theatre Sign

 From a Montgomery Advertiser story:

 

(While work was underway this year)

"When the new marquee finally lights up Thursday, April 3 at the Capri Theatre, it'll be a sight many in Montgomery — at least those here prior to 1962 — never thought they'd see again.

"We haven't flipped the switch yet, so we haven't seen what it actually looks like at night," said Capri director Martin McCaffery. He's never seen the Clover lights either, since McCaffery has only been with the theater for 40 years.

 

The marquee lights will turn on sometime between 6:45 and 7 p.m. on April 3rd.

With it's tower, clover logo, dual signs and new standing "CAPRI" letters, the new marquee already stands out in daylight hours at 1045 E. Fairview Ave. The design is remarkably similar to one that was in place for just over 20 years, from when the theater first opened as the Clover Theatre in 1941... "

April 10th Event!!!

 

14th Annual Robert and Jean Graetz Symposium on Human Rights and Reconciliation!

Dear Friends of the Robert S. and Jean E. Graetz Foundation, We have exciting news to share! After a 6-year hiatus, we are delighted to announce that the annual Robert and Jean Graetz Symposium on Human Rights and Reconciliation is back! Please mark your calendars for April 10, 2025, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. The first annual Graetz Symposium was convened in the spring of 2007, in partnership with the National Center for the Study of African American History and Culture at Alabama State University (ASU). It was established on the campus of ASU in honor of long-time human rights activists, Rev. Robert and Mrs. Jean Graetz, because of their tireless efforts to advance the cause of human rights in Montgomery and around the world. The symposium is designed to stimulate action-oriented citizens to work toward reconciliation while examining factors that divide ethnic and other groups. Its focus is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream of a “Beloved Community.” The Graetz Symposium featured luminaries from all over the world discussing vital human rights issues and ran from 2007 until 2019, when the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the passing of Bob and Jeannie, prevented it from continuing. On April 10, 2025, the Robert S. and Jean E. Graetz Foundation in partnership with the National Center for the Study of African American History and Culture at ASU will reconvene the Graetz Symposium, commemorating the 70th Anniversary of The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 60th Anniversaries of the Selma March and the Voting Rights Act and continuing the dialogue around human rights, reconciliation, and striving toward the actualization of the Beloved Community. The Theme of the 2025 Graetz Symposium is “Building the Beloved Community: From Walking to Marching to Healing and Thriving.”  Highlights of the 14th Annual Graetz Symposium! Inaugural Annual Awards from Graetz Foundation Robert S. and Jean E. Graetz Lifetime Service Award being presented to legendary Civil Rights Attorney Fred Gray Claudette Colvin Activism Award being presented to a local High School student, Jeremiah Treece, who, like Claudette Colvin, single-handedly stood up for justice and took on City Hall to remove the racist, confederate iconography on his city’s flag Graetz Foundation Beloved Community Service Awards being presented to four outstanding leaders who have made significant contributions toward building the Beloved Community in Montgomery and beyond:  Valerie Smedley; Laurie Weil; and Randall Williams and Suzanne La Rosa Dynamic Keynote Speaker Welcoming Emmy award-winning CNN Correspondent Nick Valencia, who will be sharing his life story and insights from his coverage of the groundswell of community solidarity around the world following the George Floyd murder Presentation of Beloved Community Media Award to Nick Valencia Interactive Event Engaging the action-oriented audience: conversations not just lectures  Intergenerational: with a focus on young people, as we know the legacy of Dr. King, the Graetzes, the walkers of Montgomery, and the marchers of Selma will be carried on through the determination and vision of our young people Focus on action: steps each of us can take individually and collectively to further the Beloved Community We want you!!! Here’s how you can help: Join us on April 10 in Montgomery, Alabama for the Symposium! Registration form coming soon Help spread the word! Click here to make a financial contribution of any size to help with operating expenses. Bob and Jeannie always made sure there was never a cost to attend the symposium and luncheon, to make sure it was accessible for everyone Send your ​positive thoughts, prayers, and encouragement to help build collective energy for an enlightening, powerful, and revitalizing event! We know Bob and Jeannie would be thrilled to know the symposium that was so near and dear to their hearts is back! We look forward to hopefully seeing many of you in Montgomery on April 10!  In the words of Bob Graetz that he wrote in every book he signed, "Let us work together to keep the dream alive." In solidarity, Meta and the Graetz Foundation Team Meta Ellis, Chairperson Robert S. and Jean E. Graetz Foundation www.graetzfoundation.org

Middle Class in Alabama?

 

A six-figure household income doesn’t necessarily make you rich — in many cases, it just means you’re middle class.

The upper bound of what’s considered middle class for households exceeds $100,000 in every U.S. state, according to a SmartAsset analysis of 2023 income data, the most recent available from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The report, which crunched the numbers for all 50 states, is based on Pew Research’s definition of middle class: two-thirds to double the median household income.

Alabama

Low end of middle class: $41,471

High end of middle class: $124,424

Median household income: $62,212

(Source: AOL.COM)

Can You Imagine?

 There was a time when you could RENT a radio?

 

Alabama is 5th in cost of raising a child

 #5 Alabama

• Annual cost of a child: $18,653
• Food: $1,897
• Childcare: $8,078
• Medical costs: $1,889
• Additional housing: $2,203
• Transportation: $3,161
• Other necessities: $1,426

See full list of states ranked from highest to lowest HERE.

Weather---late Sunday

 

Top Issue?

 I'm sure this is (NOT!!!) near the top of the list of issues Alabama residents are concerned about:

Female crash test dummies would be used in determining vehicle safety under a bipartisan bill sponsored by Alabama’s junior senator aimed at modernizing standards.

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., is the co-author of the She Develops Regulations In Vehicle Equality and Safety (She DRIVES) Act, which is being considered by the Senate after the Commerce Committee voted unanimously to advance the bill.

THANKS SO MUCH Senator.

 

68 Bridges in The U.S. Earmarked

 The NTSB names the bridges as in need of safety assessments...but none of them are in Alabama. (though there are many many bridges in the State):

(The state of Alabama has approximately 16,001 highway bridges. The Alabama Department of Transportation owns 5,762. Local agencies own 10,170 and the remaining 63 bridges are owned by other agencies or private entities.)

Among those listed on the national list is The Brooklyn Bridge!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ntsb-recommends-68-bridges-in-u-s-be-evaluated-for-risk-of-collapse-see-the-full-list/

Alabama: 9th Highest state home ownership rate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which State Has the Highest Home Ownership Rate?

Below, we show home ownership rates by state in 2023. (Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/mapped-homeownership-rates-by-u-s-state/

State/Area	Share of households that are owner-occupied (2023)
West Virginia	77.0%
Delaware	75.7%
Mississippi	75.5%
Maine	75.5%
Wyoming	74.5%
New Hampshire	74.3%
Michigan	74.1%
Minnesota	74.0%
Alabama	73.8%
Vermont	73.7%

Back To The future

From The Washington Post

By Donald G. McNeil Jr.

"Sacrifices are what make us a nation instead of 340 million selfish hunter-gatherers. Each of us gives up some personal freedoms so we all stay alive. Opposing lifesaving mandates is childish libertarian nonsense."

Sadly, our top health official---(Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.) is a childish libertarian.

 

Full story is HERE.